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FAMILY
TRANSFORMING ADVERSITY TO
ADVANTAGE
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EDUCATION
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THE EPISODES
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CHUTZPAH
TAKING ACTION
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POST-MOVIE DISCUSSION
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OVERVIEW
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CONTENTS
T I KK U N OL AM
Repairing the World
ISRAEL INSIDE U
Actualize your INNER ISRAELI
OVERVIEW
The film examines six actualizers - positive characteristics and patterns of behavior– that have made this
possible.
We recommend beginning by viewing the full-length film. Afterward, use the post-movie discussion found
series of six movie clips is narrated by the star of Israel Inside, for-
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mer Harvard lecturer Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, and Israeli actor, Effie Bibi.
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short movie clips to help process each of these actualizers. The
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To gain a deeper understanding of the principles in the film, we have created the enclosed curriculum and
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on page two to understand the concept of actualizers.
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transformed their country from an arid desert into a flourishing society that continuously helps the world.
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Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference is a movie about Israelis and how they have
short discussions will deepen your students’ appreciation of Israel
If you do not have time to do all seven lessons, please know that each episode has been developed as a
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“stand-alone” lesson.
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while helping to discover these actualizers within themselves.
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each individual segment of the film. The activities, together with
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In the Israel Inside U guide, there are age-appropriate activities for
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Enjoy!
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POST-MOVIE DISCUSSION: Actualizers
GOALS: Participants will be able to:
• Understand the concept of actualizers.
• Identify their own actualizers.
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• Understand how the concept of actualizers helps them relate to
Israel and Israelis.
Supplies Needed:
actualizers, the characteristics and behaviors that have enabled Israelis to succeed against incredible
odds. Surrounded by enemies, they have turned a desert with scarce natural resources into a flourishing,
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productive and caring society. n
According to Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, Israel has been able to do this because of something he calls
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We just watched Israel Inside, a film that explains how “a small nation makes a big difference.”
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INTRODUCTION – Read aloud or say in your own words:
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☐ Two index cards and one pen or pencil per participant.
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Ask: What is an actualizer? (Potential answers could be: values, life paths, character traits,
actualizers are positive patterns of behavior or thought that characterize an individual or a group. They
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contribute to the success of the person, or, if practiced on a large scale, to the success of a nation.
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Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar coined the phrase “actualizers” specifically for the movie Israel Inside. According to him,
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catalysts, goals, a way of actualizing your potential.)
• If you were to list your own personal actualizers, what would they be? (Potential answers could
be: positivity, family, hard work, service.)
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• How can these actualizers make a difference in your life?
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Ask participants to write their answers to the following questions on one of their index cards:
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POST-MOVIE DISCUSSION: Actualizers cont’d.
DISCUSS AS A GROUP:
• Why do you think Tal returned to Israel?
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• If you were in Tal’s shoes, what would you have done?
• How could the actualizers exhibited by Israelis affect your life?
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Ask participants to write their answers to the following questions on their second index card.
• Choose your favorite actualizer. Explain why it is your favorite.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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Discuss the choices of the participants as a group.
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Summarize by asking:
• What did you learn from the film?
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• How did the film affect the way you think about Israel and Israelis?
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• How did today’s activity help you internalize your priorities in life?
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• In what way can you make it a more prominent part of your life? Be as specific as possible.
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EPISODE ONE: FAMILY
GOALS:
• To understand the importance of family and to be grateful for it.
• To understand, on a personal level, how this actualizer relates to Israel.
SUPPLIES NEEDED
Close family relationships are valued in Israeli society. They build the traits of self-esteem and resilience
that have enabled Israelis to succeed against incredible odds. But between our cellphones and computers,
we are so distracted that we frequently forget to focus on the people and things that are truly important
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INTRODUCTION (1 Minute) – Read aloud:
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☐ One index card and one pen per participant.
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to us. In this episode of Israel Inside U, Dr. Ben-Shahar teaches us how to become more focused on the
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important people in our lives so we can strengthen our family relationships.
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. 10 minutes)
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PLAY Israel Inside U: Family (ap
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INSTRUCTIONS
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• Ask participants to list five things for which they are grateful on the index card.
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POSSIBLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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• Did you find this exercise difficult? If so, why?
• How can you show them more appreciation, and how can you make time to do it?
• What role can things like Shabbat – (a national day of rest in Israel) play in helping us
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appreciate family?
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• Do you ever take your family or friends for granted? If so, why?
• In the film, Dr. Ben-Shahar states, “When you appreciate the good, the good
appreciates you.” How can you better appreciate the good things in your life?
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Upon completion of the task, discuss their answers and motivations.
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• What are some ways that you think Israel connects all Jewish people as a family?
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EPISODE TWO: TRANSFORMING
ADVERSITY TO ADVANTAGE
To understand the concept of “Adversity to Advantage” as an actualizer.
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To understand how this actualizer has transformed Israel and made the country so unique.
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To educate the students to turn adversity to advantage in their own lives.
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To understand, on a personal level, how this actualizer relates to Israel.
INTRODUCTION – Read aloud:
Adversity is a by-word in Israel. The Israeli ability to turn it to advantage has enabled them to transform a
desert, with scarce natural resources into a flourishing, productive and caring society. Adversity is not unique
to Israelis. We all experience difficulties that can cause us to want to give up on our dreams. In this episode
of Israel Inside U, Dr. Tal shares some stories from his own life that teach us how to use our challenges to
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ntage (approx. 10 minut
READ ALOUD:
Please listen to this short biography of someone who faced difficult challenges. Pay attention and try
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to figure out who it is.
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Adva
Israel Inside U: Adversity to
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ACTIVITY:
(10 minutes)
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make us stronger and more resilient.
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GOALS:
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“As a child I was a homeless refugee. My family wandered from forest to village just trying to sur-
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vive. We lived like that until I reached school age.
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“During my college years, I worked to pay my way and was regularly attacked and beaten. Soon
after graduation, I was thrown into prison. Eventually, I was released but tragedy struck a few years
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later when both of my parents were brutally murdered by the Nazis. Again, I was arrested, and sent
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to a forced labor camp where I endured brutal conditions.
“After being released, I enlisted as a soldier. Later, I assumed a leadership role that forced me to
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live as a fugitive for several years. I was pursued by enemies and labeled a traitor by my own people.
“When I finally came out of hiding I started my political career. I lost eight elections in a row.
The 9th I won.
Who am I?”
(Answer: Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel, 1977-1983)
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EPISODE TWO: TRANSFORMING ADVERSITY TO ADVANTAGE cont’d.
POSSIBLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• How do you think these challenges transformed him? Be specific.
• Do you think his being bullied affected him?
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• How do you think he turned his experience of anti-Semitism into an advantage?
• Have you ever faced a difficult challenge and used it to your advantage?
• What challenges did Israel face in its early days?
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• What challenges does Israel face today?
• Do Israelis turn adversity to advantage in a way that benefits the world?
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Where or how do we see this?
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• What adversities did Menachem Begin face?
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EPISODE THREE – CHUTZPAH
GOALS:
To understand the concept of “Chutzpah” as an actualizer.
To deepen the understanding of Chutzpah as a positive trait.
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To have the students integrate this trait into their own lives.
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To understand, on a personal level, how this actualizer relates to Israel.
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SUPPLIES NEEDED
A set of cards for each student with “priorities” listed on them.
INTRODUCTION – Read aloud:
Today’s episode of Israel Inside U features the actualizer of Chutzpah. Most people view Chutzpah as something negative. But when used positively, Chutzpah translates into determination and will-power. According
to Dr. Ben-Shahar, this trait has allowed Israelis to overcome great obstacles and find solutions for some
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of the world’s greatest problems.
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ah (approx. 10 minutes)
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“Priorities” for the Priority Cards:
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• Good Grades
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• Loving Family
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• Long Life
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• Making a Difference in the World
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• True Friends
• Wealth
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• Beauty
• True Love
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• Fame
• Popularity
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• Physical Mobility
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• Eyesight
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EPISODE THREE: CHUTZPAH cont’d.
INSTRUCTIONS
This activity can be done as individuals or by dividing the students into groups of 2-3.
Each group should be given a set of “priority cards.” As a group, they need to decide which card is
their lowest priority in the deck and discard it. Repeat this process until the students are left holding
Gather the students for a group discussion that should begin with the students laying the priority cards
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they kept in front of them.
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only three cards. POSSIBLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• How do you think this activity related to chutzpah (standing up for what you believe,
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being assertive, having self-confidence, etc.)?
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• What were your priorities, and how did you select them?
history? Do you think it helps modern Israelis, too?
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• The film talked about standing up for what you believe in. How do you think this
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• How do you think the actualizer of Chutzpah helped the Jewish People throughout
activity helped you do that?
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• How does stepping up and supporting Israel require chutzpah?
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EPISODE FOUR: EDUCATION
GOALS:
• To understand the concept of “Education” as an actualizer.
• To understand how the focus on education transformed Israel.
• To understand how questioning and challenging ideas help people learn.
A headband for each student bearing the name of someone famous who lives or lived in
Israel. The headband can be made using a strip of paper taped in the form of a circle with
the name written on it. Israelis learn through challenging and questioning. This is part of Jewish tradition that dates back
thousands of years. It leads to “out-of-the-box thinking” that has enabled Israelis to become global
leaders in innovation. In this episode of Israel Inside U, Dr. Ben-Shahar shares a secret, ancient and
extremely effective method for dynamic learning: the chavruta/study partner. He explores how learning
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with a partner compels us to remain active and questioning participants in the education process.
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INTRODUCTION – Read aloud:
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A set of activity cards with characteristics listed on each card; one set for each group.
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SUPPLIES NEEDED
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utes)
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PLAY Isr ae l In sid e U: Ed
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INSTRUCTIONS
Place a “famous Israeli” headband on each student. It’s important the student doesn’t see the name on his
Tell the students to identify the name of their headband by wandering around the room, asking the other
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students yes or no questions about their person.
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or her own headband.
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Divide the students into groups of 5 - 10.
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Give the students a few minutes to figure out whose name is on their headband.
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EPISODE FOUR: EDUCATION cont’d.
King David
Bar Rafaeli
Natan Sharansky
Golda Meir
Gilad Shalit
Natalie Portman
Benjamin Netanyahu
Abraham (patriarch)
Menachem Begin
Omri Caspi
Rebecca (matriarch)
Theodore Herzl
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SAMPLE NAMES:
Once everyone has identified their “famous Israeli,” pass around the Characteristic Cards.
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As a group, let the students decide which quality best matches which name.
Equality
Kindness
Self-Confidence
Justice
Bravery
Perseverance
Strength
Self-Esteem
Creativity
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Intelligence
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Endurance
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Leadership
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SAMPLE CHARACTERISTIC CARDS:
What was one of the toughest challenges in matching the names with the
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How do these characteristics make people into leaders?
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characteristics?
It said in the film that one of the highest priorities of the early Israeli pioneers
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In what way do you think our activity was about learning through questioning
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and challenging?
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was to establish schools. Why do you think this was so critical?
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POSSIBLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (10 minutes)
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EPISODE FIVE: TAKING ACTION
GOALS:
• To understand the concept of “Taking Action” as an actualizer.
• To understand how this actualizer has transformed Israel.
• To have the students learn to take action in their own lives.
The saying, “there is no time like the present,” is a mantra for Israelis. In our daily lives, this actualizer
is important because it bridges the gap between thought and results. This is not always easy to do. In this
episode of Israel Inside U , Dr. Ben-Shahar shares concrete ways to make our abstract goals come to life.
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(approx. 10 minutes
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PLAY Israel In
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INTRODUCTION – Read aloud:
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• To understand, on a personal level, how this actualizer relates to Israel.
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INSTRUCTIONS:
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• Ask participants to list 3-5 “audacious ideas” that could change the world.
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• Ask participants to list 3-5 “audacious ideas” that could change Israeli society for the better.
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• Ask participants to list 3-5 “audacious ideas” that could change your life for the better.
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POSSIBLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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• How can one accomplish his or her goal even when the idea is “audacious?”
inspire you? How?
• How has this actualizer transformed Israel?
• Do we have a responsibility to take action for Israel? Why or why not? How can
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we do this?
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• What were some ways in the film that Israelis were taking action? Does this
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• How can one overcome his or her fear of failure when approaching something “audacious?”
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• What seems frightening to you about this list?
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EPISODE SIX: TIKKUN OLAM
REPAIRING THE WORLD
GOALS:
• To understand the concept of “Tikkun Olam” as an actualizer.
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• To understand how this actualizer effects change and has transformed Israel.
• To have the students integrate Tikkun Olam into their own lives.
INTRODUCTION – Read aloud:
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This episode of Israel Inside U explores the value of Tikkun Olam. This is an imperative that inspires
Israelis to reach out beyond their borders to help change the world. What exactly is Tikkun Olam? Is it
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just helping others or does it go deeper than this? Dr. Ben-Shahar shares with us the true definition of
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this actualizer and the transformative power that Tikkun Olam can have on society.
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pprox. 10 minutes)
(a
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PLAY Israe
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INSTRUCTIONS:
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In the film, Dr. Ben-Shahar makes a distinction between Chessed and Tikkun Olam. Ask the students to
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define this difference. The following questions may help:
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1. According to the film, what is the difference between Chessed and Tikkun Olam? (Answer: Chessed
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is helping others, but Tikkun Olam is helping others while also inspiring others to action.)
2. What does Yad Sarah do, and how do they exemplify this concept of Tikkun Olam?
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3. How does their work inspire others?
4. What values of Tikkun Olam does Yad Sarah teach us? (Possible answers: volunteerism, responsibility
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for others, Tzedakah, honoring the elderly, etc.)
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5. What impact does Tikkun Olam have on Israeli society?
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EPISODE SIX: TIKKUN OLAM cont’d.
After the discussion, break into brainstorming groups of 3-5 students:
Each group should invent a new organization which incorporates the principle of Tikkun Olam. (For
After the brainstorm session, each group should preset a 30-second skit presenting their new “organization.” The skit must clearly explain how this new organization is “Fixing the World” and fulfills the
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criteria for Tikkun Olam as defined in the discussion above.
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example: encouraging volunteerism, empowering others to take action, teaching Jewish values, etc.)
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